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Maxime Dely: What if We Could Leukoreduce Without a Filter?
Oct 25, 2025, 08:31

Maxime Dely: What if We Could Leukoreduce Without a Filter?

Maxime Dely, Sales and Application Specialist in Therapeutic Apheresis and Cell Therapy, shared on LinkedIn:

”What if we could leukoreduce without a filter?

When we talk about leukoreduction, we immediately think of leukocyte filters — disposable devices able to remove over 99% of white blood cells.

But… not everyone has access to them.

In some countries, the cost of this technology remains a major barrier to transfusion safety.

Yet there’s a simple, effective, and affordable alternative: the hard spin.

In many developing countries, the first step in whole blood processing is a soft spin.

This yields two main components:

  • a PRP (platelet-rich plasma),
  • and an RCC (red cell concentrate).

The issue? Around 90% of the residual white blood cells end up in the RCC.

And these cells can cause febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions, allergic reactions, and can even impair red cell storage quality.

By performing a hard spin, we create an interface between plasma and red cells — the well-known buffy coat.

That’s where most white cells accumulate.

The result?
A significant reduction in the residual leukocytes within the red cell concentrate — sometimes divided by 2, from 90% to 50% or even lower, depending on the separation and centrifugation settings.

The hard spin isn’t a miracle solution, but it’s a crucial first step toward safer transfusion, especially where resources are limited.

Because sometimes, innovation simply means doing better with what we have.”

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